The Violet Connection 12

NO. 12

A Note From Pastor Rick

Dear Church Family,

As we welcome the new year, I am thrilled to begin the "Experiencing God" study! This insightful study invites us to explore the seven realities that Moses encountered in Exodus 3, offering profound lessons on cultivating an obedient love relationship with God. The series will run from January 12 to March 2 and will include: - Weekly sermons - Small group discussions using the book "Seven Realities for Experiencing God" - Daily devotionals to deepen our spiritual journeys The "Seven Realities for Experiencing God" study is structured into eight engaging sessions. Each session not only provides an overview of the realities but also delves deep into essential truths, such as the understanding that God is always at work around us. This study introduces a biblical framework for discerning how God reveals His will, empowering believers to actively participate in His divine activity in the world.

Whether you are new to the faith or looking to deepen your relationship with God, this study promises to be transformative.

Join us as we discover how we can experience God more fully in 2025!

With grace and peace, Pastor Rick

A Note From Pastor Eric

Happy New Year, Violet Baptist Church Family!

As I look back on 2024, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for all that God has poured out on our church and all that He has done in our communities through the church! Over the past twelve months we have had thousands of Gospel conversations, we saw many salvations as people put their faith in Jesus and we also celebrated fifteen baptisms! Looking ahead to this new year, I am filled with hope and anticipation for what God has in store. As we step into this new season, I pray that we all do so with faith and expectation, knowing that God will continue to move and fulfill His purposes though us. I am excited to see how He will continue to us to reach new people, transform lives, build relationships, and expand His kingdom through our church and communities in the coming year. I pray that this year we would commit to seeking God's will in our lives, praying faithfully, and serving one another with love and compassion. May we each continue to grow in our faith, deepen our relationship with God, and be a light in our homes, neighborhoods, and communities. Together, let us look forward to witnessing the amazing things that God will do through Violet Baptist Church in 2025.

In Christ alone, Pastor Eric

A Note From Pastor Brian Violet men, I wanted to let you know about an incredible opportunity this coming May for you to serve the Lord. Mark your calendars for May 3-9 as we will be going out to South Dakota for a construction mission trip. We will be working on two new home builds. They will be at similar stages when we get there. Mainly we will be working on wiring and plumbing for both. We will also be working on framing a bathhouse. This will be attached to the large building that we stay at on the ranch. This newer, larger bathhouse facility will help with the teams that come out throughout the year. This will be a great opportunity for us to serve the Lord, build amazing camaraderie, and just see what God has in store for us as we serve Him in South Dakota. There’ll be more details to come, but I wanted you to mark your calendar for this important trip that will be taking place next year. (Photos from last year’s trip)

A Note from Pastor Keith

For Me, It’s Personal.

January of 2025 marks 29 years for me in youth ministry. People often ask “When are you going to move up to being a pastor to adults?” I do my best to explain to them that for me, youth ministry is a very personal passion. As a senior in high school, I decided to transfer from a large public school to a small Christian school. My love for basketball was my reason for the transfer. I hoped to be able to have an amazing senior season and possibly get an offer to play basketball in college. Little did I know, but God had much more in store for me during that school year. I did not grow up in the church, and the little exposure I had to church life was anything but positive. Things were very dysfunctional at home, and I had experienced a lot of trauma that caused me to feel that I was different than the other students around me. I was looking forward to basketball, that’s all. When I first arrived at the Christian school, I immediately noticed something about the students there. They were different from my friends at the public school. They genuinely cared about each other. They weren’t engaging in the foolish, self-centered behaviors that I had come to expect from teenagers. They were sincere in their desire to befriend me, and to share their faith in Jesus with me. The largest influence in my life that year came in the form of 3 male teachers. One of them was a basketball coach, and the other two were teachers. These guys knew my story, but they believed in me. They said that God had a plan for my life. They genuinely lived out their love for God and their love for students, including me. Their genuine faith caused me to take a second look at the Christian faith. I began reading my Bible each day. I was soaking up Biblical truth in Bible class, chapel, and a small group Bible study that I attended. I had even started to attend a local church! After 5 months of investigating the Christian faith, I surrendered my life to Christ at a Christian concert at the King’s Place, a local concert venue for Christian concerts. As I look back at that year of my life, I realized that God used his Word, his church, godly peers, and godly mentors to bring about an eternal change in my life. After college I began working in youth ministry. I realized that youth ministry combined the very things that God used to change me; Biblical truth, godly peers, and godly mentors, and the local church. Now, nearly 3 decades later, I still see God transforming the lives of students through these same life-changing influences. I desire that every student would have the support of a relationship with Jesus, the encouragement of godly peers, the guidance of older godly mentors, and the community of the local church. I am a living testimony that God can use these influences to break through the chaos of the teenage years to bring about life changing transformation. I believe this because for me, it’s personal!

Robb Bolar, me, Randy Osborn, and Richard Reiter. These are the men that God used to change my life. Over 30 years later!

2025 Winter Youth Retreat

We are so excited to be able to have our youth retreat from February 21-23 at the Heartland Retreat Center in Marengo, Ohio! The retreat provides an opportunity for students to get away from their daily routine and focus on their relationships with God and others. Over the years, many students point back to a youth retreat as a turning point in their relationship with God. In addition to deepening their connection with God, the retreats provide an opportunity to deepen connections with others within the group. I often tell parents that if their students could only attend one event each year, this would be the one to attend! It is the best event that we offer as a youth group. We will meet at church on Friday, February 21st at 5 PM and return to the church on Sunday, February 23rd at Noon. Each student will need a completed Heartland Consent Form. The cost for the retreat is $145. Payments can be made through the Church Center App, or made under “Events” at VioletBaptistChurch.org. Registration and payments are due by February 9th. Each student will receive a postcard with information about how to pack. Here are the details about our retreat speakers: Brandon Sherr will be our Jr. High speaker. Brandon grew up in Tennessee (among other places!) and graduated from Cedarville University with a major in Youth Ministry and a minor in Political Science. Brandon serves as the Youth Pastor at Shoreline Church in Willoughby, Ohio (near Cleveland). He and his wife Anna (formerly Anna Hurt) have been married for 1.5 years. Brandon loves Mexican food and would choose ice cream as his favorite dessert. He listens to the band Camino and most “good” music! He enjoys watching sports and supporting the Baylor Bears, the Giants, Yankees, and Knicks. Sam Romine will be our High School speaker. Sam grew up in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia, about an hour from Washington DC. He has a Bachelors in Social Studies Education from Mt. Vernon Nazarene University. He and his wife Taiylor have a 3 year old son named Ryder, and a 1 year old daughter named Piper. Sam is the Lead Pastor at Redemption Church in Johnstown. He loves Chipotle, Popeye’s, and a good steakhouse! He listens to classic rock, alternative, and City Alight. Sam is a huge fan of the West Virginia Mountaineers, the Carolina Panthers, the Baltimore Orioles, and the Washington Wizards.

Please be in prayer for all aspects of this retreat. Feel free to call anytime with questions.

-Pastor Keith (614)460-9271

Events & Volunteers Thank you, Violet Family, for an amazing year of fun events, serving together, and community outreach. As I look back at the year, I am so thankful for so many of you and all the events we have hosted here at the church and the serving we have done together. December was such a wonderful month to celebrate the season. We started with each Sunday in December celebrating Christmas at Violet with different activities in the Café. Thank you to those who volunteered to make this a memorably experience. I would say the cookies and hot chocolate were a huge hit! Violet’s Breakfast with Santa was such a fun event! We had over 50 volunteers to help make this event run smoothly and it was such a great morning watching all the families enjoy breakfast, family pictures, pictures with Santa, crafts, and enjoy a story time reading of The Christmas Story.

I hope you have all had a Merry Christmas and I am looking forward to all the events and serving opportunities we have here in the New Year!

Thank you, Jamie McCleese

Event & Volunteer Director jamiem@violetchurch.com

During the month of December, VioletKids “Unwrapped” the truth that God is always with us. Because of God’s greatest gift to us, we have been given a way to have a relationship with God through His Son, Jesus. Our December scripture memory verse says, “They will name Him Immanuel...God with us” (Matthew 1:23b). We kicked off the month with our annual Breakfast with Santa community event where many of our VioletKids and volunteers were spotted enjoying the pancake breakfast, visiting Santa, and making special take-home crafts. During our “Christmas at Violet” season, our VioletKids had some fun of their own! We had a PJ Sunday, enjoyed some hot chocolate with a special viewing of the movie, The Three Wise Men. VioletKids participated in our second “Serving Sunday” project this month! Did you know that a local retirement community served at our annual Trunk or Treat event in October by passing out candy? To honor and give back to this senior living facility, our kids created some beautiful canvas artwork that was given to the residents at StoryPoint Retirement Community. The artwork was inspired by our January memory verse that says, “I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken” (Psalm 16:8). VioletKids love to be a part of the mission of our church by loving and serving others around them!

Marketing & Communications

We’d love to hear from you. Has your VioletGroup recently come together to serve the Lord? Tell us about it. What’s happening in the ministry where you serve? We’d love to hear about it. You can email rachels@violetchurch.com with your stories and photos.

Keeping Connected with Violet Baptist Church

Dear Violet Baptist Church family,

At Violet Baptist Church, we utilize the Church Center app to enhance our communication with our congregation. This powerful tool allows you to stay updated on all church events, access resources, register for activities, and much more - all in one convenient location. To ensure that you are receiving the most up-to-date information and staying connected with the church community, we ask you to take a moment to update your information on the Church Center app. By doing so, you will help us better serve you. You can use the link below to get started with the Church Center app, if you haven’t already done so. In addition to the Church Center app, we also invite you to follow all of Violet Baptist Church's social media accounts. By following us on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Twitter, you will have the opportunity to engage with our church family, stay informed about upcoming events, and be inspired by uplifting messages and content. Your participation in these digital platforms not only strengthens our church community but also allows us to reach more individuals with the love of Christ. We are grateful for your support and look forward to continuing to grow together in faith and fellowship.

Let's stay connected together!

Rachel Stone Marketing & Communications Director

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